Rua Hasan, commonly known as TwinziHasan on Wattpad accumulated more than 33 million reads/views on her Wattpad novel, Tyler’s Gem. With such success and popularity, it landed a publishing deal with Typewriter Publishing. To read my review on the book, click here.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Hasan who also published Fangs vs Claws with the same publishing house in 2017. Her twin sister, Raneem Hasan is also known on Wattpad for titles such as Running into Mr. Billionaire, Mason’s Impossible Prey, and Loving Mr. Jerkface.
Thank you Rua Hasan for taking the time of day to do this. Congrats on the published books and great success on Wattpad! Let’s get started, shall we?
Firstly, what was the inspiration behind Tyler’s Gem?
I remember reading a Wattpad book called Through His Eyes. It was a teen fiction book and at that time I was already writing werewolf books. It was so captivating that I decided to start writing teen fiction.
How old were you when you started to write and what made you want to be a writer?
I started writing poetry around the age 14-15 but did not start writing
books until 16 years old. My mom used to write so I wanted to try it
out and see if it was fit for me.
How different would the story of Tyler’s Gem be if Crystal’s parents survived?
If Crystal's parents survived, then Crystal would probably have had an easier life, forcing her not to grow up early. I think the aspect of her parents dying was the reason why she relied on Tyler so much because she was lonely and needed someone’s approval. If Crystal had a mother to guide her and give her advice, then maybe Crystal would not have fallen in love with her bully.
What did you create first, the plot or characters?
I created the plot first, and then the characters.
Which character could you relate to while writing them?
Most definitely the twins because I am an identical twin myself.
What’s the most difficult part of writing for you?
Figuring out how to fit the story together and getting past the writer’s block was the challenge. The ending was the toughest part to write, especially since not everyone was pleased with the plot twist.
Since Tyler’s Gem had quite the following on Wattpad, what did your reads say when it was getting published?
A lot of readers were very supportive and showed a lot of love. The only downfall of publishing Tyler’s Gem was having to remove half of the book off of Wattpad for publishing reasons which is unfortunate. Nonetheless, mostly everyone was happy about it.
There were a lot of emotional scenes whether happy, sad, tense, etc. How did you get into the mood to write those types of scenes?
I try to put myself into the characters' shoes so that I could imagine what I would say in that situation. It does not always work, especially if I have not been in that situation before, but it helps.
You’ve written Young Adult and Paranormal. Do you have a preference?
Young Adult for sure! I had so much fun writing it.
Any advice or tips you’d like to share with aspiring writers especially within the Wattpad community?
Never give up on your dreams. If you want to write, then do not give up even if it might take some time. I always remind myself that success is like a flower, it certainly won't bloom overnight. Cheesy, I
know, but it keeps me going.
Thank you so much for your time and for answering these questions! Readers can catch Rua Hasan on Wattpad here.
